Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

Species information

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Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Threats

A number of populations have been damaged by large-scale commercial removal of bulbs for sale, despite the species being listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 (6). This has been particularly problematic in East Anglia, where the species is less common (4). Furthermore, picking and trampling are also problems in some areas, and hybridisation (cross-breeding) with non-native species is also a cause for concern. Plantlife have identified the bluebell as one of a number of plant species that will struggle in the face of global warming (5).

Conservation

Although widespread in Britain, the bluebell is globally threatened. Populations in the UK represent 25-49% of the world population (5). It is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) Species of Conservation Concern, but not a priority species (3). The species has been included in a number of Local BAPs; action taken includes the planting of a large number of bluebell bulbs. An example of this has taken place in Edinburgh, where 50,000 native bulbs were planted in 1998 alone (5).